Retractable Loading Dock Leveler Cover

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a system to quickly and easily employ a thermal/wind barrier over the surface of a mechanical dock leveler. Dock levelers used in structures with loading docks allow air transfer and thermal conductivity into the loading dock area from the outside environment through joints and openings in and around the dock leveler, when the leveler is not in use, causing economic loss of climate controlled air. The present invention provides a system to employ a thermal/wind barrier over the surface of a dock leveler when it is not being used, so as to prevent this loss. The barrier is deployed and retracted by use of a detent clutch operated spooling mechanism. The spooling mechanism is enclosed in a housing which is mounted to the inside, bottom surface of a loading dock door. An alternative embodiment uses an electric motor to deploy and retract the barrier.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to accessories for mechanical dock levelers (hereinafter “dock levelers”) used to assist in the loading and unloading of trailers from the loading docks of buildings such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities and large retail and wholesale stores (hereinafter “loading dock”). It specifically relates to thermal/wind barriers used to cover a dock leveler, during periods of time when the dock leveler is not being used to load and unload trailers from loading docks.

Usually, when a dock leveler is not being used to load and unload trailers, it is folded down into an open area or “pit” in the floor of the loading dock adjacent to, and immediately in front of, the loading dock's door. The dock leveler and the area around it are exposed to outdoor weather conditions, because of the open pit in which the dock leveler sits, such that air is allowed to transfer between the inside and outside of the loading dock area. In addition, there is thermal conductivity into the interior of the loading dock area, through the dock leveler's metal plates. This causes the economic loss of the value of environmentally controlled air in the loading dock area and creates an uncomfortable working environment therein.

Prior art demonstrates few devices designed to address these problems. These devices provide a weather sealing system for dock levelers to prevent air flow through the gaps between the plates of the dock leveler. However, such devices fail to provide any weather or thermal protection during periods of time when the dock leveler is not being used. Other devices provide for weather sealing protection, but only between the dock leveler and the wall surfaces of the pit where the dock leveler is mounted. This art also fails to provide for weather or thermal protection when the dock leveler is not in use and further fail to provide any protection from the loss of thermal conductivity.

The present invention has all of the advantages of the prior art. However, it also has unique advantages. It provides for a thermal/wind barrier which covers the entire dock leveler during periods of time when it is not in use, which barrier can be manually deployed and retracted. By covering the entire dock leveler, the thermal/wind barrier provides greater efficiency in thermal and wind protection, than devices that only seal a small area or gap in the dock leveler. In addition, the present invention provides for quick and easy deployment and retraction of the thermal/wind barrier, through use of a detent clutch operated spooling mechanism that is enclosed in a housing attached directly to the interior, bottom surface of the loading dock door.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is designed to correct the problems outlined above, as they pertain to prior art. The present invention employs a manual, detent clutch operated, spooling mechanism that is enclosed in a housing which is attached directly to the interior, bottom portion of a loading dock door. The height of the housing containing the enclosed spooling mechanism may vary, depending on the materials used to construct it. However, in the preferred embodiment, it is approximately one foot in height. The housing is of approximately the same width as the loading dock door to which it is attached. The housing can be made of a variety of light weight, durable materials such as PVC or thin gauge steel or aluminum. The detent clutch operated spooling mechanism contained inside the housing allows for the quick and easy manual deployment and retraction of a thermal/wind barrier to cover the entire surface of a loading dock leveler that serves a loading dock door, during periods of time when the dock leveler is retracted and not being used to load and unload trailers from the loading dock.

More specifically, the thermal/wind barrier is held in a rolled up or “spooled” fashion on the spooling mechanism. The spooling mechanism is enclosed in a housing, as described above. One end of the spooled thermal/wind barrier extends out from the housing, in a manner described below. The thermal/wind barrier is deployed from and retracted into the housing by use of a detent clutch system, in the same way a window shade is drawn and opened. The housing, with the thermal/wind barrier spooled inside it on the spooling mechanism, is mounted directly to the interior, bottom portion of a loading dock door. The housing is of approximately the same width as the loading dock door, to which it is attached. In the preferred embodiment, the housing is attached to the interior, bottom of the loading dock door by means of brackets, which are bolted to the housing. The brackets are screwed or bolted to the loading dock door.

When the loading dock door is closed, the thermal/wind barrier is pulled out (deployed) by use of a tether attached to the end of the barrier that extends out of the housing containing the spooling mechanism. In this fashion, the thermal/wind barrier covers the entire surface of the dock leveler, during those periods of time when the dock leveler is retracted and not being used to load or unload trailers. When it is necessary to open the loading dock door to load or unload a trailer through the door, or for any other purpose, the thermal/wind barrier is manually retracted into the housing and onto the spooling mechanism by use of the tether and the detent clutch attached to the spooling mechanism which pulls or spools the barrier back inside the housing. The loading dock door is then opened and the housing containing the spooling mechanism, along with the thermal/wind barrier retracted and spooled on the spooling mechanism, moves up with the loading dock door and are thus out of the way for the loading or unloading of a trailer.

Once the loading dock door is opened, and a trailer is backed into the loading dock door opening, the dock leveler is mechanically moved into place to assist in the loading or unloading of the trailer. The dock leveler is in an opening or “pit” in the floor of the loading dock, adjacent to and immediately in front of the loading dock door it serves. When the loading or unloading of the trailer is complete, the trailer is moved away from the loading dock door opening and the dock leveler is mechanically returned to its pit in the floor of the loading dock door. Once it is mechanically retracted, the only visible portion of the dock leveler in the loading dock area constitutes metal plates immediately in front of the loading dock door, which plates are flush with the surface of the loading dock floor. The loading dock door is then closed which, in turn, brings the housing containing the spooling mechanism back down to a position at the interior, bottom of the loading dock door. In this way, once the loading dock door is closed, the housing is in a position where the thermal/wind barrier spooled within it can be manually deployed from the spooling mechanism and over the entire surface of the dock leveler.

The thermal/wind barrier is deployed and retracted manually from the enclosed spooling mechanism by use of a detent clutch system and tether. The tether attached to the end of the barrier that extends out from the housing containing the spooling mechanism. The tether is made from a flexible, sturdy material such as nylon rope in the preferred embodiment. The opposite end of the thermal/wind barrier is attached to a round, small diameter, spool inside the center of, and running horizontally through the entire width of, the spooling mechanism. One end of the spool is affixed to the inside of the spooling mechanism in a fashion that allows the spool to freely spin on its axis. The other end of the spool is attached to a detent clutch mechanism inside the body of the spooling mechanism. The detent clutch mechanism allows the spool to be moved (spun) in either direction, and locked in one position.

The end of the thermal/wind barrier that is inside the enclosed spooling mechanism (opposite the tethered end) is secured to the horizontal spool. The horizontal spool can be made of PVC, thin gauge steel or aluminum tubing. In the preferred embodiment, the thermal/wind barrier is secured to the horizontal spool by use of screws or bolts run through metal grommets affixed to the barrier's end, but other securing methods also may be employed. In this way, manually deploying the thermal/wind barrier only requires that the user pull out the exposed, tethered end of the thermal/wind barrier, which extends out of the housing containing the spooling mechanism, and thereby roll the barrier off of the spooling mechanism and away from the housing to the desired distance. The user then engages the detent clutch break so as to lock the thermal/wind barrier in a position and at a length necessary to cover the entire surface of the dock leveler. The width of the thermal/wind barrier is nearly the same as the width of the housing that contains the spooling mechanism to which the barrier is attached. In other words, in that the housing is of the same width as the loading dock door to which it is attached, the barrier spooled within the housing is of a width sufficient to cover the dock leveler which, by definition of operation, is no wider than the width of the loading dock door it serves.

The exterior of the thermal/wind barrier that is attached to and spooled on the spooling mechanism can be made out of a variety of materials, depending on the needs and objectives of the ultimate user. In the preferred embodiment, the top and bottom exterior surfaces of the barrier are made of a resilient and tear/traffic resistant material such as polyester or nylon. The interior insulating layer of the thermal/wind barrier is preferably made of a thin, weather/thermal resistant material, with sufficient thermal resistance, depending on the nature of the wind and thermal exposures. In the preferred embodiment, the thermal/wind barrier is weighted between its exterior surfaces in a fashion that will insure that it stays in place when it is deployed over the surface of the dock leveler. Magnetic strips may also be used in this fashion to lend even greater adhesion between the deployed thermal/wind barrier and the metal plate surface of the dock leveler.

An alternative embodiment includes an electric motor mounted to the interior of the housing containing the spooling mechanism to replace the manual detent clutch described above. The electric motor allows for the deployment and retraction of the thermal/wind barrier by means of remote control in place of completing the operation manually. Additional rigidity in the thermal/wind barrier may be required, if this embodiment is used. Preferably, this rigidity can be achieved by inserting a material such as a thin, light weight, spring steel between the top and bottom exterior surfaces of the thermal/wind barrier.

Another alternative embodiment includes a removable manual hand crank used to retract the thermal/wind barrier in instances where the detent clutch mechanism fails to operate correctly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of the present retractable loading dock leveler cover, with the thermal/wind barrier retracted into the enclosed spooling mechanism which is attached to the bottom of the interior surface of a loading dock door and with the thermal/wind barrier cover partially deployed from the enclosed spooling mechanism and covering part of the surface of a closed loading dock leveler, wherein the enclosed spooling mechanism is attached to the interior, bottom of a closed loading dock door.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the enclosed spooling mechanism, showing the spool and clutch mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a section view of the spool with the thermal/wind barrier almost completely rolled onto the spool.

FIG. 4 is a section view of the wind/thermal barrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, more particularly by reference numbers wherein like numerals refer to like parts, FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of the present retractable loading dock leveler cover, with the thermal/wind barrier mostly retracted into the housing which encloses the spooling mechanism and which is attached to the bottom of the interior surface of a loading dock door. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the enclosed spooling mechanism, showing the spool, detent clutch mechanism and mostly retracted wind/thermal barrier. FIG. 3 is a section view of the spool with the thermal/wind barrier almost completely rolled onto the spool. FIG. 4 is a section view of the wind/thermal barrier.

FIG. 1 Number 1 identifies the thermal/wind barrier or cover. Number 3 shows the housing mounted directly to the interior, bottom portion of a loading dock door Number 5, with the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 rolled mostly inside the housing Number 3. The housing Number 3 is approximately the same width as the loading dock door Number 5, to which it is attached. The housing Number 3 is made of a light weight, durable, material such as PVC, thin gauge steel or aluminum. In the preferred embodiment, the housing Number 3 is attached to the interior, bottom of the loading dock door Number 5 by means of brackets, which brackets are screwed or bolted to the loading dock door Number 5.

When the loading dock door Number 5 is closed, the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 is pulled out (deployed) by use of a tether Number 6 attached to the end of the barrier Number 1 that extends out of the housing Number 3. In this fashion, the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 covers the entire surface of the dock leveler Number 7, that services the loading dock door Number 5, during those periods of time when the dock leveler Number 7 is not being used to load or unload trailers. When it is necessary to open the loading dock door Number 5, to load or unload a trailer through the door's opening, or for any other purpose, the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 is manually retracted into the housing Number 3. This retraction is accomplished by use of the tether Number 6 and a detent clutch mechanism FIG. 2 Number 2. The detent clutch mechanism Number 2 is located inside the housing FIG. 1 Number 3 and pulls or rolls thermal/wind barrier Number 1 back inside the housing Number 3. The thermal/wind barrier Number 1 is held in a rolled up or “spooled” fashion on the spooling mechanism FIG. 3 Number 4. The thermal/wind barrier Number 1 is deployed and retracted from the spooling mechanism FIG. 2 by use of a detent clutch system, FIG. 2 Number 2 in the same way a window shade is opened and closed.

The loading dock door FIG. 1 Number 5 is then opened and the housing Number 3, along with the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 retracted and rolled inside it, moves up with the loading dock door Number 5 and are thus out of the way for the loading or unloading of a trailer or any other purpose.

Once the loading dock door Number 5 is opened, and a trailer is backed into the loading dock door opening, the dock leveler Number 7 is mechanically moved into place to assist in the loading or unloading of the trailer. The dock leveler Number 7 is in an opening or “pit” in the floor of the loading dock, adjacent to and immediately in front of the loading dock door Number 5 it serves. When the loading or unloading of the trailer is complete, the dock leveler Number 7 is mechanically returned down into its pit in the floor of the loading dock. Once it is mechanically retracted, the only visible portion of the dock leveler Number 7, in the loading dock area, constitutes metal plates immediately in front of the loading dock door Number 5, which plates are flush with the surface of the loading dock floor. The loading dock door Number 5 is then closed, which, in turn, brings the housing Number 3 back down to a position at the interior, bottom of the loading dock door number 5. In this way, once the loading dock door Number 5 is closed, the housing Number 3 is a position where the thermal/wind barrier Number 1, rolled within it, can be manually deployed over the entire surface of the dock leveler Number 7.

More specifically, the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 is deployed and retracted manually from the housing Number 3 by use of a detent clutch FIG. 2 Number 2. A tether Number 6 is attached to the exposed end of the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 which extends out from the spooling mechanism FIG. 2. The tether is made from a flexible, sturdy material, such as nylon rope, in the preferred embodiment.

The end of the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 3 Number 1, that is opposite of the tethered end, is attached to a round, small diameter, spool Number 4 which is inside the center of, and runs horizontally through the entire width of, the housing FIG. 1 Number 3. In the preferred embodiment, the spool FIG. 3 is made from PVC, thin gauge steel or aluminum tubing. One end of the spool FIG. 3 Number 4 is affixed to the inside of the enclosure FIG. 1 Number 3 in a fashion that allows the spool FIG. 3 Number 4 to freely spin on its axis. The other end of the spool Number 4 is attached to a detent clutch mechanism FIG. 2 Number 2 inside the housing FIG. 1 Number 3. The detent clutch mechanism FIG. 2 Number 2 allows the spool Number 4 to be rotated in either direction, and locked in one position.

In the preferred embodiment, the end of the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 1 Number 1 that is inside the housing Number 3 (opposite the tethered end Number 6) is secured to the horizontal spool FIG. 3 Number 4 by use of fasteners such as screws, bolts or adhesives. In this way, manually deploying the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 1 Number 1 only requires that the user pull out the exposed end extending from the housing Number 3 by use of the tether Number 6 and thereby extend it away from the housing Number 3 to the desired distance over the dock leveler Number 7. The user then engages the detent clutch mechanism FIG. 2 Number 2 so as to lock the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 1 Number 1 in a position, and at a length necessary to cover the entire surface of the dock leveler Number 7. The width of the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 1 Number 1 is wider than the width of the dock leveler Number 7.

The exterior of the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 4 Number 8 can be made out of a variety of materials, depending on the needs and objectives of the ultimate user. In the preferred embodiment, the top and bottom exterior surfaces of the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 are made of a resilient and tear/traffic resistant material such as polyester or nylon. The interior insulating layer of the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 4 Number 9 is preferably made of a thin, weather/thermal resistant material, with sufficient thermal resistance, depending on the nature of the wind and thermal exposures. In the preferred embodiment, the thermal/wind barrier FIG. 1 Number 1 is of a sufficient weight so as to insure that it stays in place, when it is deployed over the surface of the dock leveler Number 7. Magnetic strips may also be used in this fashion FIG. 4 Number 10 to provide even greater adhesion between the deployed thermal/wind barrier FIG. 1 Number 1 and the metal surface of the dock leveler Number 7.

An alternative embodiment includes an electric motor mounted to the interior of the housing FIG. 1 Number 3 to replace the manual detent clutch driven spooling system, described above. The electric motor allows for the deployment and retraction of the thermal/wind barrier Number 1, by means of remote control, instead of manual operation. Additional rigidity in the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 may be required, if this embodiment is used. Preferably, this rigidity can be achieved by inserting a material, such as a thin, light weight, spring steel between the exterior surfaces of the thermal/wind barrier in the same fashion that the magnetic strips are used as described above FIG. 4 Number 10.

Another alternative embodiment includes a removable manual hand crank FIG. 2 Number 11 used to retract the thermal/wind barrier Number 1 in instances where the detent clutch mechanism Number 2 fails to operate correctly. 

1. A system to provide a thermal/wind barrier to cover the entire surface of a dock leveler in a loading dock, during those periods of time when the dock leveler is not being used to load or unload trailers: a detent clutch operated, spooling mechanism that allows for manual deployment and retraction of the thermal/wind barrier, by use of a tether; wherein the spooling mechanism is enclosed in a housing that is mounted directly to the interior bottom of a loading dock door, such that, when the thermal/wind barrier is retracted into the housing and on to the enclosed spooling mechanism, it moves up and out of the way of the loading dock door's opening, when the opening is needed for loading and unloading of trailers.
 2. An alternative embodiment of claim 1, wherein the thermal/wind barrier is deployed and retracted by means of an electric motor mounted inside the housing containing the spooling mechanism, which electric motor replaces the manual detent clutch method of deployment and retraction of the thermal/wind barrier.
 3. Another alternative embodiment of claim 1 which includes a removable manual hand crank used to retract the thermal/wind barrier in instances where the detent clutch mechanism fails to operate correctly. 